Google: Weapon of Choice in the Cloud

By

Dan Gallagher

Updated April 29, 2014 4:49 p.m. ET

For tech companies arming for battle in the cloud, it helps to have lots of ammunition—along with a proven ability to use it effectively.

In this arms race, Google has some distinct advantages. But the price of winning is high. This has clearly weighed on its stock, down 6% since the company reported mixed first-quarter results on April 16. Operating income rose 9.8%, year over year, but expenses jumped nearly 23%. Most eye-popping...